Home Win vs. South Georgia Review
Date: Saturday May 31, 2025
Result: Tampa Bay 2-1 South Georgia
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (3pt 1W-1D-0L); South Georgia Tormenta FC (3pts 1W-0D-1L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 2nd in the 2025 USL Jagermeister Cup Group 6. South Georgia are 3rd.
To say the Rowdies’ win was cathartic is likely an understatement. After such a tough month, fans were ready to throw in the towel. More negative chants went around the ground at the halftime whistle, when Tampa Bay was down 1-0. However, they rallied, they scored, and scored again, and won the game. Although it was a lower division side, the potential boost in confidence was all anyone could talk about. We’ll hope that’s what follows.
Why did we leave it so late?
This game was another that could drive you mad. Without having possession statistics for just the first half, it’s hard to know exactly how dominant the home side was. But, it was obvious to anyone in the stadium that the Green and Gold were in complete control for the vast majority of that first 45 minutes. Yet, they were down. How on earth does that happen?
As manager Steve Coleman said in the post game press conference, bad giveaways at the back don’t help. Tampa Bay had created a few chances early on. They were working the visitors from side to side the way Rowdies teams of the last couple years have done. Unfortunately, that can all be undone with a risky pass at the edge of your own 18 yard box.
Forrest Lasso’s pass back to Robert Castellanos was insufficient for the latter to get any purchase on an attempted clearance. It fell to a South Georgia player, who then worked it wide before they whipped in a cross. Keeper Ethan Bandre didn’t necessarily cover himself in glory; but, it was hardly his fault. Local fans started to have that same old feeling again.
Will the team respond? Will they put their heads down? Are we really gonna lose to Tormenta – a club struggling in their own third division? Luckily, that was not what happened. Tampa Bay kept up their game plan and looked to break down South Georgia as they had before. With all due respect, the Rowdies have the quality to beat this team. Finding it in key moments was paramount.
Despite all their huffing and puffing, the Green and Gold went down the tunnel losing. They came out the second half looking for the equalizer. It was actually the visitors who came closest; but, this time, Bandre came up huge. Just as the commentator said on the broadcast, which I caught watching the highlights, this save off a breakaway was as good as a goal at the other end.
It may have been the impetus the team needed to push on and finally get what they’d been searching for. The Rowdies began to stretch Tormenta, especially doing well to create space down the left side. Chances from Woobens Pacius and Blake Bodily went begging before the former of those collected a bungled pass from Leo Fernandes and, through sheer force of will, got it past the keeper.
With a little over ten minutes left until the clock hit 90, tensions were rising. Fans and players wanted to kick on and get the winner. South Georgia had long since had a chance of their own. It was all one way traffic. The huffing and puffing continued, with what looked to be the best shots of the night going wide or falling where Tormenta keeper Austin Pack could gather.
Finally, in stoppage time, one more bungled goal would come along. A cross that was originally blocked fell to Danny Crisostomo, who would eventually get it out to substitute Joey Skinner. His second cross fell to Ollie Bassett. They don’t have to be pretty, as the saying goes. They just have to go in. Crisostomo fell to the ground, such was his relief at the sight.
It was a feeling shared by everyone around the entire stadium. You can’t create this many chances without getting something out of it, right?! While it turns out you can, this night was not one such example. It bucked the trend of every other night that seemingly was so far in 2025. When something goes your way, it can make you believe more things will.
RBLR Man of the Match:
James: Blake Bodily
Carlos: Woobens Pacius
RBLR Sports Predictions Standings:
Carlos: 2
James: 11
Yurika: 9
